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Accurate Tuner for a 5-string

#81
I A-B-C-D'd the polytune 3, two korg pitch blacks, and a TU3. I bought the Polytune 3. It tracked the fastest with both active and passive bass, it's a built in buffer, and i can do strobe or chromatic. I was skeptical about the polyphonic at first but after using it it's actually amazing to me. I also tuned down a step and had the same results.
 
#85
I have the Turbo Tuner on my little bass pedalboard, works very well with the low B string.
Bassmaster55 said:
These headstock tuners are okay for my guitars, but terrible for bass.
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I've had the opposite experience, where I have found clip-on tuners to be more reliable with basses then with guitars, though my Polytune clip-on works pretty well with everything.
Leonid Nidis said:
If you are getting the clip on get the unitune,the poly tune mod is not for bass anyway.
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Unless you want to use the same tuner with other instruments. Though having said that, although I leave both my Polytune clip tuner and the Poly mini on my guitar pedalboard in the default mode that automatically switches between poly and single note tuning I only ever tune one note at a time even on guitar because the poly tuning is less accurate.
 
#86
scottfeldstein said:
I was really surprised that the wee tiny D'Addario clip on worked for me, too.
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Can't say that has been my experience. Mine works fine except for the B string. Which always presents as flat compared to my B3n and even my Korg guitar tuner. (Which hates the B. Needs the 5th fret harmonic to hear it properly. Forget using it for a setup.) Got to say the zoom sounds most in tune to my ears, but it's a bit skittish. I wonder if the BEAD tuning means my truss rod is a little tight.

Any advice on that last sentence would be gratefully received, if anyone has any ideas.
 
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#87
I would not waste money on one of those clip-ons. For extended range bass, all you need to do is check the specs that it reads down to B-o, the open B on fives and sixes. Before these were common, I'd sound the harmonic at the octave to reel it in, but I prefer a conventional plug-in (or through) tuner. I keep BOSS TU-80's in the cases, and they work just fine, plus it has a metronome when I really want to make myself crazy.
 
#92
KaseOfBass said:
ST-300

I have both the full-size older ST-200 and the new ST-300 mini. I thought the ST-200 was blazing fast (and it is), but the 300 is even better. Plus the 300s have a brighter, easier to read display. The 200 could get washed out in just the right outside lighting conditions.
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Not really concerned about the brighter screen. I don't gig. For home studio use only.

In that regard, would I be happy with the ST-200?
 
#95
KaseOfBass said:
Gotcha. The newer 300s track even faster than the 200 did. Both would serve you well. The 200 is still miles above everything else out there IMO, and the 300 is better than that. I still use both and only play 5-strings.
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Went ahead and decided to support their business. So, I have a brand new full sized ST-300 headed my way!

Gonna be useful in the studio and on the workbench, thanks to being able to be powered with a 9V battery.
 
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#96
factory presets said:
I wonder if the BEAD tuning means my truss rod is a little tight. Any advice on that last sentence would be gratefully received, if anyone has any ideas.
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The way to tell that is to measure the neck straightness. If it's too bent, you need more truss (righty tighty). If it's too straight, you need less (lefty loosey). How do you measure it? I use a capo on the first fret, hold down the fret where the neck joins the body with my right hand, and slide a feeler gauge under the B string. Slide it between the string and the fret around 7, 8, 9. If you can slip it in without raising the string you have at least that much neck relief (or more). I see folks online recommending 12 or 14 for a B string. I have run mine as low as 10 if I can get away with it without buzz. Remember: this is a measure of neck straightness, not string height, which is a separate thing. (A set of feeler gauges can be bought at any hardware store for less than $10. If you want to know more, PM me. Or just peruse the "repair and setup" forums.)
 
#97
darwin-bass said:
Clip-on tuners only do 1/2 the job. The point of a tuner is to help you tune AND to be a mute switch. A clip-on only does the first job, not the second.

For years I've been happy with my original Polytune. I just bought a Turbo Tuner ST-300. I configured the ST-300 to be always-on. The footswitch serves as a mute. When playing unlined fretless I have an pitch indicator for when things get a bit wonky. It has been useful at home to fine-tune my muscle memory for playing in tune.
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I am so intrigued that I have to try this with my forthcoming Strobostomp. I think I will love having it always on. The Strobo looks really responsive, too, like you'd have to be playing at least 8th notes for it not to follow you. And you get the mute switch, too! I only have one misgiving: running in buffered bypass. It's probably a good idea for me. All in, I am typically running 24 feet of cable in addition to a six-pedal board. Probably do me some good.
 
#98
scottfeldstein said:
The way to tell that is to measure the neck straightness. If it's too bent, you need more truss (righty tighty). If it's too straight, you need less (lefty loosey). How do you measure it? I use a capo on the first fret, hold down the fret where the neck joins the body with my right hand, and slide a feeler gauge under the B string. Slide it between the string and the fret around 7, 8, 9. If you can slip it in without raising the string you have at least that much neck relief (or more). I see folks online recommending 12 or 14 for a B string. I have run mine as low as 10 if I can get away with it without buzz. Remember: this is a measure of neck straightness, not string height, which is a separate thing. (A set of feeler gauges can be bought at any hardware store for less than $10. If you want to know more, PM me. Or just peruse the "repair and setup" forums.)
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Thanks for the reply. I'm happy with the contour of the neck. But it seems that pressure on the pegs from turning them is giving me a bit more tuner bounce than it used to. Which has got me wondering if a microturn to the counter-clockwise might let the wood take more of the weight of the strings. If I go there, it'll be my first adventure in truss rods. And I would want to go in as well researched as I can be.

Edit: set up and repair forum sounds like some rock solid advice.
 
#100
factory presets said:
Thanks for the reply. I'm happy with the contour of the neck. But it seems that pressure on the pegs from turning them is giving me a bit more tuner bounce than it used to. Which has got me wondering if a microturn to the counter-clockwise might let the wood take more of the weight of the strings. If I go there, it'll be my first adventure in truss rods. And I would want to go in as well researched as I can be.

Edit: set up and repair forum sounds like some rock solid advice.
Click to expand...

By my figuring, turning the truss rod is going to do one thing and one thing only: give you more or less neck relief. Well, it might affect your intonation and your string height, too. For sure check out the setup forums. I should also give a shout out to Dave of "Dave's World of Fun Stuff" on YouTube. I have learned a lot by watching his channel. Good luck!
 

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